So Detroit is in the news today for two reasons. First, the Mayor said no to a Robocop statue. I would have to agree with this decision. And second, he is saying yes to a houses for cops statute.
The mayor of Detroit is offering public safety officials tax-foreclosed homes in the city for only $1000; they also can get up to $150,000 in grants to restore the homes. I think this is a good idea. I wish it were open to more than just police and firemen/women though. I would buy a house or two in Detroit if I could get them for a mere thousand dollars, with $150,000 to rehab each. No house payment is a dream.
This kind of program is a great idea. They need to expand it to other citizens though, not just police.
I used to live in a great part of Dayton called the Oregon District. It is the nicest part of the city of Dayton - the heart. It was rehabbed in a program like the above-mentioned one thirty years ago or so, except houses went for $1. You read that correctly - a mere dollar. The home owners had to promise to live in the house as their primary residence for seven years or something. And, I think they also received grants to rehab the neighborhood. Guess what, it worked! It is beautiful there now.
The Oregon District is one of the most expensive places to live in the Miami Valley now and has held its value over the years. It is BEAUTIFUL! Its prices are comparable to Oakwood's, Dayton's version of Grosse Pointe.
So, I hope this plan works. And I hope more plans like this follow. Home ownership is the American dream. It is a dream that has been taken away from too many in recent years. Once people own homes, they have pride. There is no place like home, even if it only costs a grand. I would love no house payment! This is a step in the right direction. My mom and dad grew up in beautiful neighborhoods in Detroit proper. Oh to see that again would be wonderful.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
This is Detroit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUvPUANJZrQ&feature=email
A few weeks ago, a friend emailed this to me. Then, last week my sister did the same. It is a great video about Detroit - its history, its goods, its people. In honor of this video, here is a list of my favorite things about Detroit & Michigan in General:
Wing Lake, Franklin Cider Mill, Somerset Mall, The Tigers, Ford , The Gallery,The Lions, Chrysler, Beau Jack's, The Red Wings , General Motors, The Lakes,The Pistons, Walloon Lake, Echo Park Road, Faygo , Ernest Hemingway, The Palace, Stroh's Beer, Cranbrook, Comerica Park, Stroh's Ice Cream, Grosse Pointe, Cobo Hall, Sander's Hot Fudge Royal Oak Boblo Island (RIP), Vernor's Ginger Ale, Ann Arbor, The Wolverines, MSU, U of M, The Spartans, Western, Central, Oakland, Boats, Mackinac , Buddy's Pizza, Boyne, Mackinac Hot Fudge, Sila's Pizza, DSO,
Mackinac Salt Water Taffy, Pine Knob, Farmington, The Grand Hotel , The Detroit Zoo, The Village Club, Traverse City, Detroit Institute of Art, Madonna,Charlevoix, Kid Rock, Joe Lewis,
Lake Charlevoix, Eminem, The Fist, Petosky, The Petosky Stone, Aertha, Diego Rivera's Murals,
Downtown Birmingham, Greenfield Village, Apples, Dick O'Douds, Cottage Inn Pizza, Cherries,
The Village Restaurant, Little Caesar's, The Auto Show, Barton Hills Country Club, Olga's, Dominoes , The Irish Festival, Greektown, The Thanksgiving Day Parade, Belle Isle Zoo (RIP),
The Ole Sheleigh, Meadowbrook , St. Patrick's Day Parade, Mexican Village , St. Mary's Fair, Peabody's, Four Green Fields, Birmigham Fair, Fourth of July Fireworks, Leo's Coney Island, Ford Field , Hudsons (RIP), U of D Basketball, St. Owen's, Marian, Brother Rice, BHMS, Tanglewood.
A few weeks ago, a friend emailed this to me. Then, last week my sister did the same. It is a great video about Detroit - its history, its goods, its people. In honor of this video, here is a list of my favorite things about Detroit & Michigan in General:
Wing Lake, Franklin Cider Mill, Somerset Mall, The Tigers, Ford , The Gallery,The Lions, Chrysler, Beau Jack's, The Red Wings , General Motors, The Lakes,The Pistons, Walloon Lake, Echo Park Road, Faygo , Ernest Hemingway, The Palace, Stroh's Beer, Cranbrook, Comerica Park, Stroh's Ice Cream, Grosse Pointe, Cobo Hall, Sander's Hot Fudge Royal Oak Boblo Island (RIP), Vernor's Ginger Ale, Ann Arbor, The Wolverines, MSU, U of M, The Spartans, Western, Central, Oakland, Boats, Mackinac , Buddy's Pizza, Boyne, Mackinac Hot Fudge, Sila's Pizza, DSO,
Mackinac Salt Water Taffy, Pine Knob, Farmington, The Grand Hotel , The Detroit Zoo, The Village Club, Traverse City, Detroit Institute of Art, Madonna,Charlevoix, Kid Rock, Joe Lewis,
Lake Charlevoix, Eminem, The Fist, Petosky, The Petosky Stone, Aertha, Diego Rivera's Murals,
Downtown Birmingham, Greenfield Village, Apples, Dick O'Douds, Cottage Inn Pizza, Cherries,
The Village Restaurant, Little Caesar's, The Auto Show, Barton Hills Country Club, Olga's, Dominoes , The Irish Festival, Greektown, The Thanksgiving Day Parade, Belle Isle Zoo (RIP),
The Ole Sheleigh, Meadowbrook , St. Patrick's Day Parade, Mexican Village , St. Mary's Fair, Peabody's, Four Green Fields, Birmigham Fair, Fourth of July Fireworks, Leo's Coney Island, Ford Field , Hudsons (RIP), U of D Basketball, St. Owen's, Marian, Brother Rice, BHMS, Tanglewood.
Imported from Detroit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc
I have to admit that even though I went to a Superbowl Party, I did not watch much of the game. The men monopolized the TV room, so I was with the women and children in the kitchen. So, sadly, I did not see this commercial live. And, none of my in-laws told me about it, which I was surprised about really. They all know how much I love Detroit. Maybe they missed it due to conversation or something. But luckily today, my Facebook page was full of people talking about it, so I checked it out on YouTube.
People are rating this the best commercial of the bunch, with which I would have to agree (although the VW Darth Vader Jedi Mind Trick ad is in a close second). My favorite line from the ad is "from people who have never been there." Isn't that the truth? People love to rail on Detroit, even if they have not one time actually stepped foot in the state of Michigan; however, this ad again is supporting my theory that it is totally hip to be from Detroit right now.
Detroit is full of luxury. I loved that they featured the Fox Theater. But luxury in Detroit does not begin and end there. We have the Whitney, The Detroit Institute of Art, and the Renaissance Center. Metropolitan Detroit is full of luxury. Growing up I was surrounded by luxury. For example, people I know from all over the Midwest drive to Troy, Michigan to shop at Somerset Mall. The Townsend in downtown Birmingham is a world-class hotel, and professional golfers oft swing their clubs at Oakland Hills Country Club. We have the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Ford Mustang, and Sanders Hot Fudge.
The funniest post I saw about the ad this morning was actually in a thread from a fellow blogger's post about it. Some woman wrote "Eminem is so hot." Mind you, this post was probably from a 30 something mom. On YouTube, I saw another post that said something like, "I have never been there, but I wish I was from there." See, Detroit is the hippest town in America. And, a lot of hotties are from MoTown :).
So, I am proud to be imported from the Motor City! What does not kill you makes you stronger. Just wait and see America all that Detroit has to offer you in the future. The comeback is just starting.
I have to admit that even though I went to a Superbowl Party, I did not watch much of the game. The men monopolized the TV room, so I was with the women and children in the kitchen. So, sadly, I did not see this commercial live. And, none of my in-laws told me about it, which I was surprised about really. They all know how much I love Detroit. Maybe they missed it due to conversation or something. But luckily today, my Facebook page was full of people talking about it, so I checked it out on YouTube.
People are rating this the best commercial of the bunch, with which I would have to agree (although the VW Darth Vader Jedi Mind Trick ad is in a close second). My favorite line from the ad is "from people who have never been there." Isn't that the truth? People love to rail on Detroit, even if they have not one time actually stepped foot in the state of Michigan; however, this ad again is supporting my theory that it is totally hip to be from Detroit right now.
Detroit is full of luxury. I loved that they featured the Fox Theater. But luxury in Detroit does not begin and end there. We have the Whitney, The Detroit Institute of Art, and the Renaissance Center. Metropolitan Detroit is full of luxury. Growing up I was surrounded by luxury. For example, people I know from all over the Midwest drive to Troy, Michigan to shop at Somerset Mall. The Townsend in downtown Birmingham is a world-class hotel, and professional golfers oft swing their clubs at Oakland Hills Country Club. We have the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Ford Mustang, and Sanders Hot Fudge.
The funniest post I saw about the ad this morning was actually in a thread from a fellow blogger's post about it. Some woman wrote "Eminem is so hot." Mind you, this post was probably from a 30 something mom. On YouTube, I saw another post that said something like, "I have never been there, but I wish I was from there." See, Detroit is the hippest town in America. And, a lot of hotties are from MoTown :).
So, I am proud to be imported from the Motor City! What does not kill you makes you stronger. Just wait and see America all that Detroit has to offer you in the future. The comeback is just starting.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Snowmygod!
Well, like the rest of the Midwest and Northeast, Dayton, Ohio has had a heck of a week after a hell of a winter. After a massive ice storm, my house lost power for about ten hours. The night of snowegeddon, an apartment building in the neighborhood had some type of fire danger. Four fire trucks and an ambulance lit up my house like the Fourth of July, while we sat up in the dark listening to trees collapsing outside our window. Luckily, no trees fell on my house or my car. Although it is reminiscent of Hurricane Ike around my neighborhood right now (yes, we had hurricane strength winds in Ohio two years ago!) luckily, I have power now. Did not know what I would do with these two kids with no power in the middle of winter.
I do miss Detroit winters though. I know that sounds stupid. But, in Detroit, when we get a winter storm, it is snow, not ICE! And not rain. It is usually bright, white snow! Also, in Detroit, they know how to clean this stuff up pretty darn quickly. There is a whole industry devoted to it really. Down here in Southern Ohio, they act like a winter storm is the White Death. I have never really seen anything like it before. The grocery store is cleaned out. The news is acting like it is the end of the world. Schools, churches, businesses close. I always think, "Boy, this is not Michigan."
I hear that Detroit only got six or seven inches - not the twenty something that hit Chicago. That is a good thing. Although, Detroit could handle it. It can handle a lot. :)
I do miss Detroit winters though. I know that sounds stupid. But, in Detroit, when we get a winter storm, it is snow, not ICE! And not rain. It is usually bright, white snow! Also, in Detroit, they know how to clean this stuff up pretty darn quickly. There is a whole industry devoted to it really. Down here in Southern Ohio, they act like a winter storm is the White Death. I have never really seen anything like it before. The grocery store is cleaned out. The news is acting like it is the end of the world. Schools, churches, businesses close. I always think, "Boy, this is not Michigan."
I hear that Detroit only got six or seven inches - not the twenty something that hit Chicago. That is a good thing. Although, Detroit could handle it. It can handle a lot. :)
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